August 17 -- What a day and evening at Portal and Faranuf!

And I've only been here 5 days...Things started off with a bang with a beautiful sunrise bathing the peaks of Cave Creek Canyon with a golden glow --

Then birds starting coming to my backyard feeders; word must've gone around that the Faranuf buffet is back in business.  I'm starting a Yard List -- so far I have Black-chinned Hummingbird (and there were at least 3 others which I couldn't ID), Canyon Towhee including a begging juvenile, House Finch, 2 Say's Phoebes, and 2 Black-throated Sparrows, one of which I photographed in the front yard with the 500 f/4 lens --

Then I went to the Portal post office, a small building that, inside, reminds me of the post offices of, say, the 1920s. I'll have to take a photo and post it. I've been thinking of having a mailbox installed facing the main Portal road because all my mail is still being forwarded to the RV mail service in Florida -- and there was seemingly no way I could get out of it until the contract runs out on January 16, 2016. Well, I THOUGH I couldn't get out of it -- but Debbie, daughter of Postmistriss Joan, who works at the Portal PO at couple days a week (and is also the owner of the Rodeo Tavern, one of only 3 places to eat within, say, 30 miles of Portal) called the main post office in San Simon, put a gal on the line, and after I explained the situation, said "OK, it's done, now you can get all of your mail at your Portal post office box, and it won't be forwarded." Sort of like waving a magic wand and -- POOF! -- it's fixed. Simple as that; it's amazing what you can get done around here armed with just a smile and winning personality :o). So I no longer have to worry about buying a mailbox and sort through all the rules and regulations that accompany installing one. And then my binoculars, which I've had for over 8 years, gave up the ghost when the center wheel which focuses the left-hand eyepiece stopped focusing, no matter how much I rolled it. They were Kahles bins, made in Austria -- I kidded people by saying they were the ones Rommel used in the Afrika Korps -- and I've had issues with the company when they reneged on a lifetime guarantee and tried charging me for having to send them in as one of the binocular clips that hold the carrying strap to the bins broke off; they said I did it, and eventually still charged me half of the original quote and made it sound like they gave me a great deal. I told them I'd NEVER recommend them ever again...But all's well etc etc and I ended up going on Amazon and ordering the Nikon Monarch 7 8 x 42s, which reviews said hands-down were the best birding binoculars under $500 -- and had the characteristics of bins twice their price. As it was another hot day outside -- 90-plus degrees with a warm wind -- I stayed pretty much inside Faranuf, practicing my guitar and getting chores done. Then around 5pm a Javelina family visited my yard, along with a tiny baby; here's one of the adults -- 

The adult Javelinas are very protective of their young -- NEVER get between the adults and their kids -- and apparently stink to high heaven. But I don't plan on ever getting that close to them...Then I was treated to an awesome sunset -- the beginning --

The color just continued to get more intense over the Chiricahuas; that's Portal Peak in the center --

I literally stood there with my mouth open (which can be dangerous as bugs could fly in); I have never seen such intense color. And it culminated in --

About 15 minutes after this, the lightning started to the north of me -- jagged displays about every 10 seconds, with flashes of light in the clouds; it reminded me of the "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" Mother Ship appearing. And then the rain started...It was the perfect end to a day of wildlife, the palette of  Mother Nature, followed by a display of her power, I think I'm going to like life here...

August 14-16 -- I Arrive At Faranuf

After spending 2 days with my sister-in-law and her daughter in Tucson, it was time to begin the last leg of my journey to "Faranuf", my house in Portal, AZ.  My truck (Tundra Dos) was filled to near-bursting with perishable food from Costco (put into a large cooler), and items for living in a somewhat isolated area. As I made the turnoff from the I-10 onto Hwy 80 in New Mexico (the only paved way to Portal is to go into NM, then back into AZ) I went through Granite Gap -- and there were the Chiricahuas, with Cave Creek Canyon seemingly at the end of the highway --

After taking this photo (not much traffic here, so I was able to stand in the middle of the road), I turned the other way and took a pic looking towards Granite Gap -- 

I felt like I was coming home, and all the effort, and setbacks,over the past year -- getting an Arizona driver's license, buying a manufactured home, having a deer cross in front of Tundra Uno and totaling the truck, actually "pulling the plug" and making an offer on the house, getting a housing inspection, renting Faranuf from February to June -- faded as I now was actually HERE, and would be living in what would forever be known as "Faranuf". I unloaded Tundra Dos that very first day, then had dinner with fellow "Portalites" at the Portal Lodge, Store and Cafe -- the only "game" in Portal. We had dinner outside, and as trite as it may sound, I really felt that I belonged here. I know the challenges will be many, living in a rural area where most of what city dwellers take for granted are miles away -- but that night I was living for the moment...Much to my surprise, the DSL internet connection at Faranuf was just as fast as my cable Internet back in San Pedro, and I finally had a landline after about 2 years of living with just a cell phone. I suppose you could say that, though I travelled and lived in Discovery, my Lance travel trailer, for nearly 2 years, I craved living within 4 permanent walls, and now I can use Faranuf as a home base and take forays in Discovery II (I traded-in Discovery I so I could get Discovery II, with its upgrades and solar panels for boondocking). The weather ever since Tucson has been hot -- 107 in the city, and now in the 90s at Portal, with a warm wind. I knocked down a few wasp nests in Faranuf's eaves, but my friend and Portal "font of knowledge", Helen Snyder, said there's a wasp nest in the utility box outside, and the way to get rid of them (temporarily) was to put a trash bag over the box so they can't get out, then hit 'em with wasp spray, which comes out in a 20-foot stream (you don't want to be too close to those suckers). I haven't done it yet...I set up a few bird feeders in the back yard where the original owners had put up feeder hangers, but the word hasn't been spread in the bird world yet -- 

Meanwhile, the "monsoonal" clouds over the Chiricahuas were mighty impressive -- 

Yesterday the 16th I took my Diamondback hybrid bike (good for both paved and dirt roads) to get my mail from the tiny Portal post office, then continued up Cave Creek Road, winding among the shade and sycamores, until I came to Sunny Flat Campground. The campground is closed due to flood damage, and possible future floods, during the monsoon season, but I got in and took photos of my bike set in the mountain desert landscape -- 

Flying among these rocky ramparts I could see Swainson's Hawks and Turkey Vultures, and the lush growth provided a contrast to the rocky, barren mountains above -- 

Earlier in my cycling trip I'd stop to take a photo of the classic view looking up Cave Creek Canyon, with a Century plant smack in the middle --

I came home about 9:30 as it was starting to get hot. I worked on my Stihl string trimmer, mixing the fuel and oil in a 50 to 1 ratio (gleaned from a You Tube video, You Tube has a video for EVERYthing) then took a long-overdue, refreshing nap in the afternoon as I was going to have dinner at a new friend's house. About an hour before leaving Faranuf, I looked to the east -- and saw what looked to be a HUGE cloud of dust coming towards Portal, and it had brief flashes of lightning. It was very dramatic -- then it was upon Faranuf, and the wind picked up. But it was over in a flash...The evening ended with another dinner with good friends and fellow "Portalites" where we discussed everything from Short-tailed Hawks to desert gardening, and at 9PM, after salmon, 3-bean salad and steaks, we all went home. So now it's the 17th, and another day of adventure begins...

August 13 -- In Tucson and Supplies for Rural Living

I'm staying with my sister-in-law Barbara and her daughter Rachel in Rachel's small apartment here in Tucson; my brother Richard is back in Sierra Vista, where he's a civilian lawyer working on the Fort Huachua army base. My main reason for stopping at Tucson, on the way "home" to Portal (172 miles, or about 3 hours' drive from Tucson) was to spend time with them, and stock up on groceries and refrigerated items to bring to "Faranuf". The temperature has been HOT here -- it's only gotten down to about 85 degress at best at night, and averaging about 105-plus during the day. Thunderheads are a common sight; here's one I captured with my Canon 7D landscape lens while coming into Tucson on Wednesday --

It's been a pretty wet monsoon season both, here and in Portal. A friend and neighbor in Portal said the landscape is incredibly green - and she's been living there since 2002. On the way to Tucson Wednesday, the scenery along Northshore Road, along the north shore of Lake Mead, was spectacular with clouds and color -- 

So...yesterday the 13th was spent mostly at Costco, where Barbara and I went on a "shopping spree". I bought a lot of bulk groceries -- mayo, mustard, salad dressing/marinade, Ghirardelli double chocolate brownie mix (well, we all have our guilty pleasures), chicken breasts and thighs, prime quality small steaks, pork medallions for my indoor grill... the list goes on. So we end up at the checkout counter and give them my Costco card, and the checkout girl said my membership number has been changed, and I can "go right around the corner" at the entrance to get a new one; meanwhile, she plugs the new number in. So Barbara and I take out VERY loaded carts to membership services, and the guy at the desk gives me a new card. But....WAIT a minute...I'm NOT an "Executive Member" - and my name isn't spelled "Stephan". So I show them -- and they're puzzled. Don't I live on -- and said an address I've never heard of. "Isn't your telephone number..." and say a phone number that isn't mine. Long story short -- but someone else has been paying for my membership all these years, and my membership was combined with his. After about 20 minutes, we finally get things straightened out, and I decide to upgrade to "Executive Member" as I get money back -- and I'm able to apply that day's transaction to my new card. All's well that...yadda yadda yadda. Once we get back to the apartment, Barbara stuffs all my refrigerated items into her fridge, and I'll be getting block ice for the cooler tomorrow for the trip to Faranuf. There are still a few items I need to get today, probably at Home Depot -- wasp spray (my friend Helen says there's a particularly "pissy" wasp nest in my outside utility box) and a gas can for gas for my weed whacker. Tonight it will be dinner with good friends at a local restaurant (well, the ONLY local restaurant), a I brought a few bottles of Malbec wine for the occasion. I'll probably be spending the next few days unloading stuff from Tundra Dos (my name for the 2nd Tundra) -- and hopefully not encountering any rattlesnakes...

Why I Decided To Get A Gun -- An Explanation

Believe me, it wasn't an easy decision to make...I've never believed in owning a gun -- and I've lived in a city for most of my life. I always felt that if you had a gun, you'd likely feel the need to use it. And heck, I'm probably only shoot myself in the foot... When I was on Travels of Discovery, I had pepper spray and a torque wrench for protection -- that's it. And I didn't use either of them once (well, I used the torque wrench to adjust the torque on Discovery's lug nuts). So why, if I never felt the need to have a gun in the much more dangerous city, did I opt to get one now that I'm living in a rural area? Part of it had to do with all the friends who said I needed one -- yes, I "caved" to a certain extent. "Well, if you're out hiking by yourself, what are you going to do if you come upon narco-trafficking?" (There are signs in the Chiricahuas warning about "illegal smuggling" to be found in the area.) It just takes one incident to, well, "ruin your millenium"...And while I have a "live-and-let-live" policy regarding critters -- I only draw the line if they come into my house -- I don't trust myself enough  to make the right decision if I'm confronted by, say, a mountain lion. Perhaps later down the line, when I've been there for, say a year -- but not during the transition time from condo living to rural living. And you can't believe how many people said "well, you really need at least 2 guns -- one for your house, and one in the truck." I definitely didn't want to start down THAT road...So I acquired a .22; I figured it would be the least "offensive" gun I could have. But I'm still uncomfortable with having even that. And it's not that I would "use" it right away, because I have to get it registered, get a concealed weapons permit, take classes...I suppose what it boils down to is I'd (reluctantly) rather have one, than be faced with a situation where I wish I had one, God forbid that should ever occur.. Regarding rattlesnakes -- and there are 2 very poisonous ones in the Portal area, Mojave and Western Diamondback -- I bought a "snake stick" through Amazon and hope to use it as my first "line of defense" if I should come upon one in, say, the well house (how long do I have to keep out of the well house; what if if decides to take up residency there?) the snake stick would allow me to pick it up behind the neck, place it in, say, a large trash container, put it in the back of my truck, and take if FAR away from my acreage. Of course, that's easier said than done -- and I haven't done it yet. But, in that instance, I couldn't leave it be. So it's a dilemma. Anyway, I felt the need to explain my decision -- I felt I was too flippant in talking about my acquiring a gun in the previous blog entry. I really agonized over it -- and hope I made the right decision...

August 11 -- Guns 'n Discovery

I'm taking a gun with me down to "Faranuf", my house in Portal, AZ. It was a tough decision, but I decided I needed one "just in case". The main difficulty was in finding ammo -- Big 5 in CA didn't have any, same with the Big 5 in Henderson, NV. The guy behind the gun counter in the NV store said to check a gun store down the road -- and that guns stores are all over the state -- but wouldn't you know it, the one time I wanted to find a gun store, I couldn't find a single one. But when I got back to Overton, I stopped by the RV park where my trailer "Discovery II" is being stored (I traded-in Discovery I in late January to get an upgraded model that had solar panels) and talked with Stan, the "go-to" guy there, and mentioned not being able to find .22 ammo. He told me to try the Ace hardware store up the street in Overton, so I did -- and he had both .22 ammo and .22 birdshot (or snakeshot). Why the dearth of .22 ammo? The guys both in back and in front of the gun counter at Ace's speculated that it's (a) a government plot, or (b) a problem at the manufacturer; I'll go with (b) as the most likely. I drove into Henderson, NV in the morning along the scenic Northshore Road and while in town picked up my 2014 tax return, 3 gallons of redwood treatment for Faranuf's decking at Lowe's (also hard to find), and trailer tire covers at Camping World, as Discovery II will be sitting outside at the RV park for another 4 and 1/2 months before I return in January to spend a month or so there. Tundra II is chock-full of things to take down to Faranuf, and I packed in even more stuff while at Overton from the trailer -- classical guitar, clothes, DVDs (I'll have no TV during my initial time at Faranuf; I figure I'll be busy enough with maintenance, hiking, photography and such), etc. While in "Pedro" I bought a "cow catcher", aka front grille guard, for Tundra II as I wasn't about to have another encounter with a deer, which totaled the much-lamented Tundra I --

I'd also bought a hybrid bike; my 1994 Trek mountain bike was stolen out of my father's condo garage, where I was staying during my time in San Pedro. As it turns out, the hybrid is a much better bike for the Portal area, with its mix of both paved and dirt roads. Here's the bike, a Diamondback with disc brakes -- 

As I mentioned earlier, I bought tire covers for Discovery II. Here's both Tundra and Discovery at the RV park -- 

Discovery weathered being out in the elements for nearly 3 months quite well; I didn't even need to wash "her", which I was thinking of doing. So I made her ready for another 4 months of vacancy, headed back to the hotel in town where I'm staying, used the refreshingly-cool pool (I'm going to miss swimming; it's been my main source of exercise these past few weeks), and got a colorful sunset in the bargain -- 

I'll be seeing a lot more of those at Faranuf. Today it's a drive down to Tucson where I'll stay for 2 days, then it's on to Life as a Portalite...

January - July 2015 -- Overton, Nevada and San Pedro, California

I took a hiatus from Travels of Discovery from January to July, though I did take the class to become a "wildlife interpreter" for the National Association of Interpreters (NAI) held in Las Vegas in January and traded in Discovery I to purchase Discovery II, which is now (August) parked at Overton's RV park where I spent the last 2 winters. After spending the months of February through April at Overton, I went back to my hometown of San Pedro, CA where I stayed from May thru the first part of August. The highlight of my stay in "Pedro" was the discovery of a Mississippi Kite at the South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes -- the 2nd time I discovered a "MIKI" there; the first was in 2007. This time around it was the 7th recording sighting of a MIKI in Los Angeles County -- and like the 2007 bird, it was a "First Summer" Kite. Alas, it only stayed for 3 days -- but it was a thrill to see another one, which of course was completely unexpected. I first saw it while sitting on a bench next to one of the water fountains; when I realized what it was, I knocked over my 500mm lens and it jammed when I tried to take a photo -- and by the time I fixed it, the Kite was way over on the other side of the Garden. So I legged it over there, carrying my 13 pound-plus camera rig -- when it went back to the other side! Then it seemed to have disappeared. So I headed for the Garden entrance, skunked on getting a photo -- who's going to believe a guy who claimed to have seen TWO Mississippi Kites which shouldn't be here? -- when I saw it again, and took the documentation photos. After posting the finding in the local bird listserve, birders and the curious flocked (so to speak) from all over. Here are photos of the MIKI, taken July 10 (when I first saw it) and July 12; the second photo show it eating an insect (dragonfly?) on-the-wing --

I also discovered, and photographed, a fledgling Phainopepla, on a bridle trail behind the gates in Rolling Hills, the first documentation of the return to the Palos Verdes Peninsula of breeding Phainopepla. Now it's August 11, and I'm back in Overton, Nevada, where I'm taking things out of my trailer, Discovery II, to take down to my house in Portal, Arizona. I'd rented my house (I call it Faranuf, as in FarEnough) from February to June, when the tenants found a place in Tucson and moved out -- so I figured it was time to move in myself. Just to refresh your memory, here are photos of both Faranuf and its back yard, with the bird feeder hangers and killer view of Cave Creek Canyon in the distance -- 

So after another day in Overton to do errands and try to stuff more, er, "stuff" into Tundra "Dos" (as it's my 2nd Tundra; the first was totaled last November after a deer cut in front of me), I head down to Tucson where I'll be spending a few days with my sister-in-law and niece -- then it's on to Portal, and new adventures...

January 1-6 -- Last Days in Southern California...

I'm at my dad's condo right now, typing this while all of the Los Angeles basin is spread out before me, lit up by millions of lights. It's time to continue with Travels of Discovery -- or at least the "hiatus" portion of it, spending the winter in Overton, Nevada. First, though, I visit Lancaster, CA and the Lance factory, where the Lance campers and travel trailers are built. Tomorrow the 7th I'll be meeting with Bob Rogers, Lance's advertising director, and discussing possible ways to help promote Lance and its products while I'm on the road. After that, it's the factory tour, where you can see how your camper or travel trailer is constructed "from the ground up". My new trailer, Discovery II, is waiting for me at the Lance dealer in Mesquite, Nevada, but the earliest I'll have the opportunity to pick "her" up is January 19. After visiting the Lance factory, I'll head to Portal and "Faranuf", my newly-purchased house down there, to drop off furniture and things before heading back to Overton, and classes being held in Las Vegas to become a "certified wildlife technician" for the Nevada Department of Wildlife and the Overton Wildlife Management Area. So lots to do just as the new year starts -- but before that, here are some last views taken during my remaining time in San Pedro, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula...

Lower Willow Springs Trail, "behind the gates" in Rolling Hills

Red-tailed Hawk, Purple Canyon, Rolling Hills

The "Secret Garden" of a Rolling Hills bridle trail

Townsend's Warbler, Rolling Hills

Cactus Wren, Ocean Trails

Red-breasted Nuthatch, South Coast Botanic Garden, Palos Verdes

There's a story behind the above photo of the Red-breasted Nuthatch...That day I went to the botanic garden -- and I was hoping I'd see an "RBN", as I hadn't seen one there in over a year (they're at best hit-and-miss at the garden). A friend of mine, Bea Rasof, had passed away in 2013, and her son Henry and friends dedicated one of the garden's benches to her memory -- "she loved nature, peace, poetry and dance". I sat on that bench -- and this Red-breasted Nuthatch suddenly appeared on a pine tree opposite from where I was sitting. Coincidence? Who knows, but I thanked Bea all the same for the sighting...

Allen's Hummingbird, South Coast Botanic Garden

Ruby-crowned Kinglet at the water fountain, South Coast Botanic Garden

Ancient Murrelets, Marina del Rey main channel (thanks to my friend, birding "wunderkid" Jose Sandoval for spotting them WAY out there)

Mew Gull, Ballona Channel

Red-throated Loon, Marina del Rey main channel

Downtown Los Angeles skyline, sunset of January 6

Now back to life on the road...

December 26-31 -- The End of 2014 in San Pedro...

It's been a time of reprise and endings -- repeated visits to favorite haunts here in San Pedro and the Palos Verdes Peninsula, leading to that final hike before I head back on the road on January 7. But it's not goodbye for good; it's more like "auf wiedersehen", whose literal meaning is "until we see again".  So here are some of the places and wildlife I've seen during these last days of 2014...

Probable Gray Whale off the coast

Peregrine Falcon at South Coast Botanic Garden

Hermit Thrush (they're EVERYwhere) at the Garden's water fountain

Spotted Towhee at Ocean Trails

California Gnatcatcher, also at Ocean Trails

Cactus Wren braving a windy day (Ocean Trails)

Allen's Hummingbird on the same windy day

Red-breasted Merganser swimming underwater

Osprey evading a forming wave after a dive

Another memorable San Pedro sunrise, looking east

That same memorable sunrise, looking north to San Gabriel Mountains

Uncommonly-seen White-throated Sparrow at San Pedro's Alma Park

Snowy Egret flyby along shoreline

Out-in-the-open Mr. Varied Thrush at Alma Park

Out-in-the-open Mrs. Varied Thrush at Alma Park

Snowfall down to 1,000 feet at "Saddleback" in Orange County

The Los Angeles basin and San Gabriel Mountains from George F Canyon Trail

I can hardly wait for 2015 to unfold...